Automatic brake-setting mechanism.



G. H. LOWELL. v

AUTOMATIC vBRAKE SETTING MBGHANISM.

. AYPLIOAQTION `TILES!) MA1?.4 22, 1910. 993

Patented May 23, 1911.

2 BHEETS--SHEET l.

By r

Arme/vim G. H. LUWELL.

AUTOMATIC BRAKE SETTING MEUHANISM,

APPLICATION FILED MAEv 22, 15310.

Tamm@ may 23, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES QL/r1.1, le;

drinnen n. 'nownnn MENNESM I linnen.errto'l lipicanen y@ which e me is provided', enligne me cnncem:

Be kit' knoivnthat`l, GnoRen H. Lownnn, ednpon the ties constituting a portion of the a citizeniofthe` United States, and .a resiroad hed, gently inclined cam members dent etzirmingham, inthe county of Jeffer- Tlie upper surfaces ofthe cammenibers are 60 E. son Vand yState of Alabama, have invented sutliciently Wide to provide Vtor the strava ne`w Aand Improved Automatic BrakeSeting offtlie engine, upon whichy 'is mounted ...vt1n'g: Mec hanisn1,lo which the following is a plunger 11, which plunger is intended a, ull,.cle`ar, and exact description. to he operated by the cam' surfaces of the Among the principal objects which the cams 10. The plunger 11is heldin a euh 65 "e present invention has in View are: to providey stantialljv vertical. position hy a brochet 12, a mechanism operble' roinoutside the cab 'Whichis provided to guide the plunger 11 restructure,to'autoinatically set the brakes of in its reciprooations such as are cans hv an eng'iin'afortrain;to` provide a construction the cains` 10. The reciprocation o the wherein the :automatic f operation may be plunger 11 operates to rotate a ratchet 'Wheel 70 avoidedionly byvigilance on the part of A13, 'suitably mounted Withinthe cab or the the-engineergandto provide a simple, eiiech locomotiv rlhe ratchet Wheel .125 is 'nrof-rtive and vdurable construction whereby the vided with suitable teeth` as illustrated in' operation, of the brake mechanism may be the drawings, and each of the teeth is "u set with reference to arbitrary selection. erably' given a designating number. T e 75 One leinhodiinent of the present invention 'number of'teeth is unlimited, they being ,arf i is,disclosed.,,in sthe struct-ure 'illustrated in erahly equal to the number of stations and fthe. -`ac conlpanying v drawings, in which like switches provided on the district or the road charactersof reference denotecorresponding over which the particular locomotive or y @parts in all thewiews, and in Whichy train is calculated to operate'. The engage-1v 25 .Eigurel ist1 arear View of a locomotive,` ment of vthe teethot the ratchet is showing theztrack bed the rails whereof are by means olf-a toothed end 1li formed upon )in section and, mounted on the usual ties, a rod 15, which is guidedly mounted withand stationary detlectors for operating the inahollovvlinlrsection16,which eonnectsthe automatic mechanism; Fig. 2 is a side elevasaid rod 15 and plunger 11; The linlr sec- S5 tion of aV portiono the car truck, showing tion 1G has vformed in the tlicree'' slot-s in connection therewith a side view of the 17, 17,`designed to receive ant only let mechanism` foroperating the brakes, inoverally extended pins 18, 18, which able-.and istationary; Fig. 8 is a front view tended troni the-rod 15 and which operate in'jelevation "of the selecting device used in to guide the rod in the linlrand prevent the 9o vconjunction Withthe present invention; Fig. one from binding upon the other. The rod 4 is a vertical section of the selecting'niecha- 15' is extended through a box 19, situated "Y IliS'H taken on the line in Fig. 3; Fig. on nlate 2,0. Whereon is mounted the ratchet 5l is a horizontal cross section taken on the Within the box 19 is suitably mounted line-5,5 Fg- 3;.Fg. 6 ,is a vertical seca. spiral-spring 21, the oi'iice of which is to .e5

40' -OIlftlfHiOIlfh@ "lvl'lj 5-6 ill Fg- Q, Gf thrust the toothed end 1d into operative enoperatingrrnechanisni for the selecting mech gageinent with the successive teeth on the anisrn; andfFig. 7 is a longitudinal vieW of a ratchet 13. The heir 19 is provided with en valve introduced in. the air. `pressure pipes elongated slot 29;, to permit the end 14: to he of the aiivbrakejsystem, taken on the line retracted in its rise caused hy the circular 100 7 -57`in Eig'. 3,-adapted to be operated; aS lateral extension of the ratchet 13 when anemergencyfvolve. u Y moved in thevvefrtical nath of `the rod 15.

" Thellvelltion isadapted toprovide for The rod 15 isregulatedand arrested in its the prevention of, accidents ycaused by the rise by a stop 23, which is set-lout from the v negligrlcel.-CT1SjS1SS0f engine drivers. side of the plate 20 to receive an extension 105 5@ Itis;particularly, designe'dto. operate' for 9A: provided on the head 14. The swing' the settings!y n.,mechanism which will 'be 'of ther-0d i5 is permitted bv-reason .of the automatcal; operated at given st-atio'i,v pivotal attachment of the link 16 te the provided the driver through carelessness orA plunger 11. This pivotal attachment is failure does not follow directions. shown aty Q5 and is of any suitable torni. llo

At convenientpoint adjacent to ,g efich it is to 'prevent the return ofthe ratchet 13 Station" aldfwgheverous Switches,` ,with that' a detent 26 is provided. rEhe detent rotates. lExtended within the innergroove` 28 is a valve stem 30, the valve 31 of which is suitably seated in' a partition 32, as in a' globe valve. The valve is maintained in its Opening from the outer side of the ratchet 13 is aseated 'position by a spring 33.

15 square perforation 34, which is adapted to .hold in guided., relation a cam faced head 3-5, whichis pivoted at 36 upon a'hand lever 37. The hand lever 37 is pivotally mounted between'the ears of a standard 38, which is pivoted at 39 upon the ratchet 13. Extended beside the perforation 34 is a recess 40,

adapted. to receive the head 35 when vthe ,same is raisedout of the perforation 34 and maintained out of engagement with the '25 stem 30. i

' With a mechanism thus constructed, ar-

' ranged an'd mounted the operation is as followsz' As the locomotive bearing the plunger 11 passes each of the stations or switches -provided with the cam 10 mounted 'as shown in Fig.l 2 of drawings, the said plunger and parts connected therewith are` lifted in a vertical direction, carrying theratchet 13 in its rotary path one fraction of the rotation.

35 When, in the course of the rotation of the.

ratchet 13 the cam facedhead 35 is brought l over the valve stem 30 of the valve 31, the

pipe 41, .connected with the air brake-system,

is opened to effect an emergency stop n the 4Q wheel brakes. One such operation of the plunger is effected at each of the stations'g-f but it is not the purpose ofthe present invention .that the. rakesof alocomotive or train shall be alwaysset automatically. \It

5 is, in fact,,the intention that the engineer.v

shall se't the brakes by the usual method, and that he further shall prevent the operation of the emergency brake and' the consequent discomfort andda'mage, by raising the cam faced head 35 so that it willnot contact with the stem 30 when approaching the station forI which it is set,` the brake being merely. provided as a safeguard to operate in the event lof, carelessness, inattention or dis- 5 ability of the engineer.

if In its practical operation the apparatus is handled .as follows: Presuming't at a train of say,.the freight variety has been stopped at a station to receive orders-,which orders areto the effect that the train shall turn into the siding, say four stations in advance of that at which the order is given. Insteadl of trusting tothe memory of the engineer the `ratchet 13 is adjusted so that the cam 65 faced head. 35 is removed 'four stations from Ithe art o f the engineer, and such accidents lquired and the device upon which the work' spiral spring 42 situated within the link 16,

the location ofthe stem 30. At each of the intervening stations, as above set forth, the plunger .1l is raised by oney of the many cams 10 provided on the road bed. On the approach of the fourth station designated as the turning oif point for the train inquestion, the engineer is supposed to slowdown, and if it be necessary for the train crew to operate v the switch one of the crew goes forward and throws the same, when the train in question passes on to the siding and there awaits theoncoming meeting train which it is instructed to permit to pass. As the engineer passes fromthe mainline on to the switch, the cam faced head 35-is raised out of its perforation 34 and thrown into the recess 40, where it is permitted to rest. In this position the succeeding stations, switches and so on, while operating the ratchet 13, do not affect the valve 31, and the apparatus vto all intents and purposes is out of operation. Taking the above illustration, how- 'eVerVas showing the operation in the event of the carelessness of the engineer or driver, we find, that as the engine passes the cam 10 located'at, the switch into which he has been instructed Vto turn, the plunger 11 and the parts connected therewith are raised to rotate the ratchet 13 and present the head 35 over the stem 30 in such manner as to throw 95 l "wide the valve 31,. immediately causing an emergency setting of the brakes, bringing the whole train to a standstill. The tra'in can.- not run by this station from-.carelessness on 10o are, y this apparatus, eliminated Iin railway operations.

In the reciprocation lof the plunger 11 jthe link 16 and rod 15, the end Aof the 'work reis performed, necessitates a large degree of 'accommodation to the rise and fall of the side of the engine carrying the said mechanical parts. It is for this pur ose that the rod 15 is mounted within the 11nk'16- by 110 means of the pins 18, asabo've described. It

vis also for this reason that the said rod 15 is supported in its extended position by a p as shown most clearly in Fig. 6 of the draw- '115 ings. Itgis for the same reason that* plunger 11 is provided with a spiral spring. 43 which rests against a bolt 44 extended be#- Atween the sides of the bracket 12 fxedly mounted upon the engine. The spring 43 120 being extended between the bottom of the perforation 45 provided in the plunger 11 and the'bo1t'44 which is ixedly mounted upon the locomotive, the plunger 11 is extended to its full and normal extension from the bracket 12. This action .on the part of the spring 43 rests the upper extensionof the plunger 11 on the bolt 44, and 'forms a brace against which the spring 42 thrustsv in raising '.the rod 13 into'its full upwardly 130 ceased,

extended position. In the event, however,

. that the engine at the moment' of passing.

` the cam' lOshould sway downward on the,

side of the bed having the cams, so-that the extension 24 on the hook end 14 strikes-.the stop-23 prior to the plunger 11 rising over the crown of the cam 10, the parts'will give to avoid" breaking the engine structure.

` Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automat-ic brake'setting mechanism,

r comprising-a ratchet Wheel mounted upon a car structure adjacent tothe operating valve of an Aair pipe for the brake mechanism; a device mounted on ratchet. Wheel adaptedl to extend therefrom, and held thereon to operatively. impinge upon. said valve; means provided on-said ratchet Wheel for preventingthe -impingement of said 'device upon said'valve ,and a reciprocating member to rotate the` s'aid Wheel by a succession of engagementswith said Wheel..`

2. An automatic brake set-ting mechanism,

comprising a ratchet disk rotatively mounted upon a ca r struct-ure adjacent to the operating valve of an lair pipe for the brake system; said disk being-provided with an opening extended therethrough; a cam head pivotallymounted on said disk and adapted to extend through said opening to operatively engage said valve; a standard pivotally mounted 7upon said disk adjacent said opening; a lever pivot-ally mounted on said standard and `xedly connected 'with' said cam head,-said'le ver being arranged to be manually operated to dispose the said cam head in the pathl of said valve or removed standard pivotally mounted. on said .disk `adjacent to. said opening; a lever 'pivotalljtf mounted on said standard and having a cam head varranged to extend through said opening to dispose the same in the path of the saidvaflve stem to open 'said valve," said lever "f being manually operableto lift said head from said opening and ,to swing the sameA over the solid prtionof the said disk; a reciprocating rod to rotate thel said Wheel by"-y a succession of engagements with said Wheel.

4. An automatic brake setting nflechanism,-

comprising/a` ratchet disk and a movable member carried thereby arranged tosbe.

moved into and out of the path ofa brake releasing valve, said-.disk being provided with a plurality of radially extended ratchet teeth;van operating rod `^fr said disk'embodying a plurality of telescopically arranged sprlng extended members; a pawl 'shaped end to engage the said ratchet teeth to rotate the said disk 4by. successive impulses; and a plurality of alined guides one 4of Which'is mounted adjacent to; said disk.

5L' An automatic brake setting mechanism;

comprising a ratchet disk `and a movable -member carried -thereby arranged. to be.

moved 'into and out of the path' of a brake releasing valve, said A-disk being .provided .with Aa plurality of radially extended'ratchet` teeth; an operating -rodfor said diskemf bodying a plurality. of telescopically ar'- ranged spring extended members; apawl shaped en d to engage-the said ratchet teeth to rotate the saidfdisk'by successive impulses; a plurality of V'alined guides one of; which is mounted adjacentto said disk; aspring for holding said pawl end in contact with said ratchet teeth; and a spring actuated paw'l to engage said teethto prevent the retraction of said disk. f

In testimony `whereof I. have signedmy name to this specification in the'presen'ce of two subscribing witnesses.

Zeno.v H.' LOWELL. C

' Witnesses z.

JNO. P. RUSSELL,- MARK MAULEY. 

